BMW International Open leaderboard 2018

The final BMW International Open leaderboard 2018 from Golf Club Gut Laerchenhof in Germany, where Matt Wallace was victorious

Final BMW International Open leaderboard 2018:

BMW International Open report

England’s Matt Wallace fired a magnificent final round 65 to chase down Thorbjorn Olesen to win the BMW International Open at Golf Club Gut Laerchenhof.

Wallace started the round two shots adrift of the leaders, but at one point it seemed that the title would be going to Denmark’s Olesen, who birdied eight of the final 10 holes to sign for a 61 – the best round of his European Tour career. He had a three-shot lead before the leaders had even teed off.

As the pre-round leaders started to falter, it proved to be Wallace who made the biggest move. After a low-key front-nine of 34, Wallace went on a birdie blitz, picking up shots at 10, 11, 13, 15 and 16 to edge one-shot ahead of the pacesetter Olesen.

But after a wayward drive at the 18th, Wallace was in all sorts of trouble as he looked to make par to set the clubhouse target. His ball ran through the bunker and perched on the back edge; the approach shot required an awkward stance where the ball was well above his feet.

The resulting shot – a superb iron safely into the middle of the green – summed up his exceptional play under pressure and his meteoric rise over the past year.

The Shot Clock Masters winner Mikko Korhonen made a late rally but ultimately came up a shot short, as did Martin Kaymer, who will be ruing a careless bogey on the drivable par-4 17th after running his short chip through the green.

Less than two years ago, Wallace was playing on the Alps Tour. Today, after nobody could catch him, he holds a very real chance of making the European Ryder Cup team in Paris after securing his third European Tour title in 13 months.